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Coll 6/53 'Red Sea: The Hanish Islands.' [‎78r] (155/419)

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The record is made up of 1 file (208 folios). It was created in 2 Oct 1928-12 Dec 1935. It was written in English, Italian and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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at Aden.
30th May, 1931.
Sir,
I have the honour to report that when on
patrol in the vicinity of the Banish Islands on May
27th, small military posts, manned by Italian Native
Soldiers, were discovered on the islands of Jebel Zukur
and Great Banish.
2. During the forenoon of the 27th., I stopped
a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. , flying the Italian colours, for interrogation,
and was informed that she was taking seven Askar is from
Jebel Zukur back to As sab.
The men were only too pleased to tell me where to find
their post.
3. I proceeded to the vicinity in the ship and
anchored, sending in my 1’irst Lieutenant in a boat to
ascertain particulars, under the guise of offering
them any assistance, supplies of water etc. , that they
might require.
The post on Jebel Zuicur was manned by three men only,
but at one time had consisted of 20 men, tnen being
reduced to 10, andnow to 3.
Seven men had just left the post in the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. already
mentioned.
4. The post consisted of a large wooden hut,
with about eight matting huts built in the back grouna.
Each man had a rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition, and
were allowed to have their wives with them.
t
They stated that they were provisioned from Assab by
dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. every ten days, and were relieved every four
months.
They thought the post had been in existence for some
years, but were indefinite of this point, and I am
convinced that it has been established less than one yeax .

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Content

This file primarily concerns the sovereignty status of the Hanish Islands, as well as that of other islands in the Lower Red Sea. It documents concerns held by the British Government that the Italian Government is in the process of attempting to establish some kind of informal control over certain islands.

Matters discussed in the correspondence include:

  • The content and wording of a proposed Red Sea Lights Convention, the result of negotiations between the British and French governments, which ostensibly relates to the construction and maintenance of lighthouses – both on islands in the Lower Red Sea and in the territory of Mocha – but also concerns questions of sovereignty.
  • Whether the Italian Government's plan to construct a lighthouse on South-West Haycock Island constitutes a claim of sovereignty over the island.
  • The establishment of Italian military posts on the Hanish and Jebel Zukur [Jazīrat Jabal Zuqar] islands.
  • Concerns expressed by the Admiralty and Foreign Office that by establishing these posts the Italian Government could be attempting to enforce rights of sovereignty over the islands.
  • The extent to which either the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) or the Rome Conversations of 1927 (between Britain and Italy) provide any basis to contesting an Italian claim to sovereignty over the islands.
  • Reports of attempts by the Italian military posts to restrict fishing and pearling in neighbouring waters to dhows possessing a permit from Assab.

The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Ambassador in Rome (Sir Ronald Graham, succeeded by James Eric Drummond); the Command-in-Chief, Mediterranean; the Senior Officer of the Red Sea Sloops; the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , the Admiralty, the Air Council, and the Board of Trade's Mercantile Marine Department.

As well as correspondence the file includes the following: extracts from reports of the proceedings of HMS Dahlia (1929 and 1931), HMS Penzance (1933), and HMS Calcutta (1934); copies of the minutes of an interdepartmental conference, held at the Foreign Office on 6 July 1931 to consider questions relating to the Red Sea islands; draft English and French texts of modifications to the aforementioned Red Sea Lights Convention, prepared by Sir Cecil Hurst, legal adviser to the Foreign Office; two sketch maps depicting the Lower Red Sea islands and surrounding area.

In addition to the aforementioned French text, the file contains some material in Italian, namely a copy of a fishing permit issued at Assab (an English translation is included).

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).

Extent and format
1 file (208 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 209; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English, Italian and French in Latin script
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Coll 6/53 'Red Sea: The Hanish Islands.' [‎78r] (155/419), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2120, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100040077756.0x00009e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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